Since Mark is above and beyond a helpful and well-meaning gentleman in my experience, but also extremely well-informed (he does work for Lenovo unlike most of us, after all) when it comes to company policies I'd tend to say that anyone considering a purchase from Outlet should bear these changes in mind...

_________________...Knowledge is a deadly friend when no one sets the rules...(King Crimson)

Not living in North America, it's not that I used to / plan to purchase from the outlet, but this is one annoying policy change. DELL's outlet allows one to get 3+ years of warranty even on refurbished products.

1-year warranty on a Thinkpad is already ridiculous enough. The fact that it can't be upgraded is mind-boggling.

On any machine that I had purchased from Outlet (I believe that the last one was about a year and a half ago) I was bombarded with email offers from Lenovo to extend the warranty. And mind you, these were refurbs-officially-although no one would be able to tell since they looked and even smelled brand new.

In my book, on a low-end machine it doesn't really make much of a difference. Buy a R61i (just as an example) for under $400 and it will likely outlast the warranty by quite a margin anyway, and if it doesn't, it should've earned its keep within a year.

Now, buy a "refurb" W700 for $1,300 or so along with stock in Bayer...and pray to the deity of your choice that it doesn't blow a planar or LCD on day # 385...

_________________...Knowledge is a deadly friend when no one sets the rules...(King Crimson)

In my book, on a low-end machine it doesn't really make much of a difference. Buy a R61i (just as an example) for under $400 and it will likely outlast the warranty by quite a margin anyway, and if it doesn't, it should've earned its keep within a year.

Precisely! In my book, Thinkpads are not low-end machines by definition. Yes, low-end R and SL series may be considered as such (although it's a pity), but 1-year warranty on T/X/W? IMO, these things should by default come with minimum 3 years. Offering 1-year warranties simply cheapens the brand.

The extremly horrible quality of X301 and T400/s displays does it as well.

True, but - what does this have to do with this particular thread?

Seriously, Puppy, do you ever talk about anything else? I find it difficult to find a post of you on the forums in which you do not complain about the horrible TN screens used by Lenovo in current laptops (or the aspect ratio).

These are all valid arguments, but what is the point in bringing them up over and over again, even in discussions which don't have anything to do with the subject? I think anyone on the forums has either got the point by now, or will never get it.

This information is fuzzy and may be inaccurate. I just was able to order a Maintenance upgrade to my Outlet purchased refurbed T500 day before yesterday. So until I am denied the upgrade I will withhold opinion on this 'new' policy. More to come ...

I just called and upgraded mine to a three year depot for $100. I know I could have gotten it for $20 less elsewhere, but figured since the availability of this warranty is questionable I was better off ordering it through lenovo directly.

Well my warranty never activated and the order was canceled today. It sure is frustrating that Lenovo never posted a change in terms or upgraded warranty policy on their outlet page or I would have purchased a used T61 from the forum that could be extended out to 5 years.

Last Friday (13rd), I sent an email to Lenovo Outlet Contact regarding the warranty extension for Outlet products.

Here's the reply I got a few minutes ago:

Quote:

Dear Customer,

Thank you for contacting Lenovo, the makers of ThinkPad and ThinkCentre products. You can purchase a one or two year maintenance agreement for your machine once it is shipped. You will have to call 866-428-4465 and speak with a sales representative concerning the purchase of the maintenance agreement. As for Windows 7, once you purchase the machine you can follow the link on the site.

If you have any further questions or concerns, feel free to reply to this email. We will be happy to assist you further at that time.

I purchased my X200s at a sale held on the ThinkPad campus in Morrisville, NC in September. I was wary of getting a refurb (warranty issues being one of my concerns). I chose a new model -- one which both the box and the representatives identified as being a brand new machine. Prior to handing over my credit card, I asked two separate representatives whether or not the machine could be upgraded to carry a three-year, on-site warranty with accidental damage coverage. Both of them assured me that it could.

Only it can't.

I'd be pretty enraged if I actually intended to keep this machine as my primary laptop, but since I either will sell/trade it or use it as fodder for my next customization project it's not the end of the world. Still, it's seems like kind of a sneaky way of handling things...

_________________Need help with Linux or FreeBSD? Catch me on IRC: I'm ThinkRob on FreeNode and EFnet.

If would file a complaint with lenovo corporate if they told you on campus that you could extend it.

I could, but somehow I doubt that will go anywhere. I'm not really to bothered by it, as I intend to either sell/trade it or (failing that) customize it to such an extent that the warranty doesn't matter.

I've already spoken with Mark@Lenovo (over on the Lenovo forums), and he responded:

Quote:

I don't recall if this was an outlet order or not - our current "official" stance is 1 year warranty, no upgrades on outlet warranty.

In any event, I would just suggest presenting sales with your Machine type when inquiring about upgrades.

If for some reason I do end up keeping the machine unmodified, I certainly will see call up sales and see if I can arrange a warranty extension.

_________________Need help with Linux or FreeBSD? Catch me on IRC: I'm ThinkRob on FreeNode and EFnet.

I just called and upgraded mine to a three year depot for $100. I know I could have gotten it for $20 less elsewhere, but figured since the availability of this warranty is questionable I was better off ordering it through lenovo directly.